Refrigeration



Sept. 19, 1933. E. T. WILLIAMS 1,927,146 REFRIGERATION Filed Aug. 7. 1930 INVENTOR am/Jaw ATTORNEY atented Sept. 19, 1933 umro T'ATES PATENT OFFICE 14 Claims.

This invention relates to refrigeration and more particularly to cooling elements of sheet metal or other construction having a compartment for freezing ice cubes and a surrounding chamber for containing brine or other cooling medium which will circulate due tothermal conditions and cool air surrounding the exterior of the evaporator and cool the compartment for the reception of ice trays. Heretofore considerable difficulties have been encountered in the construction of evaporators of this character, on account of excessive costs of production'and numerous joints. which had to be made and maintained tight against the passage of refrigerant.

Among the objects of the present invention are to provide an evaporator of simple and inexpensive construction having few joints and providing maximum heat transfer with minimum size refrigerant containing vessel or evaporator.

In the'drawing,

Fig. l is a longitudinal vertical section illustrating one application of the invention;

Fig. 2, a top plan view with portions broken away;

Fig. 3, a longitudinal vertical section illustrating a modified construction; and

Fig. i, a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

In the drawing, reference character 10 indicates an outer casing or shell and 11 an inner casing or shell. At its front or open end the inner shell has a flared wall 12 with a peripheral flange 13 providing an annular contact with the interior of the shell 10 to which it is secured preferably by welding or any other means to insure a tight joint. These shells are preferably made of drawn steel and the inner shell is provided with longitudinal ribs 14 pressed in its sides in order to form supports for ice trays, not shown.

Since the inner shell 11 is smaller and shorter than the outer shell 10, there are provided an annular space 15 around the inner shell between the two shells, and a chamber 16 between the ends of the shells. Above the chamber 16 the shell 10 has an opening through which projects a hermetically sealed container 17 which forms an evaporating chamber for refrigerant, and which is a part of the circulating system of a refrigerating unit. The joint between the shell 10 and the container 1'7 is made water tight to prevent the escape of brine or other solution having a low freezing point, from within the space between the inner and outer shells 10 and 11. The container 17 is further provided with radiating fins 18 to assist in chilling the solution in which it is submerged, the refrigerant passing into the container 17 through liquid line 19 and out of such container through suction line 20. The evaporating of the refrigerant in the container 17 serves to remove heat from the walls of the container and the fins attached thereto and from the solution in contact with the exterior of the container. Due to' this action a thermal circulation of the brine or other fluid substance is set up around the inner shell 11 and the container 17. Heat is accordingly removed from this inner shell 11 as well as from the outer-shell and is carried to the surface of the container 1'7 where it is taken up by the evaporating refrigerant within such container.

In Figs. 3 and 4 is shown a slightly modified construction differing principally from the construction shown in Fig. 1 in the employment of an outer shell of two pieces and a modified form of expansion chamber for the evaporating refrigerant, the inner shell 11 being identical with that shown in Fig. 1. In this modified construction the outer shell 21 is annular, but is open at its rear end and adjacent such end the stop of said shell 21 is pressed upwardly to form a transverse arch 22 which forms the upper half of a header or refrigerant chamber 23. The lower portion of the refrigerant chamber 23 is formed by the curved upper extremities of a pair of opposed plates 24 and 25, such plates being provided with opposed corrugations 26 and 27 which extend substantially at right angles thereto and form depending refrigerant ducts for the evaporating refrigerant. The plates 24 and 25 extend transversely of the chamber formed between the ends of the inner and outer shells. These plates are welded or otherwise secured together around their edges and at suitable points between their corrugations for added strength. The refrigerant may pass directly from one duct to another as the walls are not continuous. The curved upper extremities of said plates are provided with horizontal flanges 27 and 28 which are secured by welding or other desired manner to the under surface of the outer shell 21. The extremities of these plates may form end closures for the chamber 23, or separate closure plates may be provided as desired. The rear end of the outer shell is closed by an end member 29.

' It will be readily understood from the foregoing description that refrigerant entering through pipe 19 and returning through pipe 20 and vaporizing within this chamber is a medium by means of which the refrigerating action is accomplished. The thermal circulation around the sealed refrigerant vaporizing or expansion chamber serves to remove heat from the walls of the inner and outer shells 11 and 21 which heat is absorbed by the vaporizing refrigerant. A closure plug 30 may be provided in each of the outer shells 10 and 21 for permitting the insertion or removal of brine or other fluid which freezes at a low temperature.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, and the invention is not limited to what is shown in the drawing and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A cooling element comprising a double walled shell having a chamber formed between said walls at one end of the cooling element and a refrigerant expansion chamber located wholly within said chamber a portion of said expansion chamber being formed by a portion of the double walled shell.

2. A cooling element comprising an inner shell forming the top, bottom and sides of a chamber for receiving ice trays, a correspondingly formed second shell enclosing the first shell and forming an annular space about the first shell with a compartment between the rear ends of the first and second shells, an evaporating chamber located.

wholly within said compartment, the space between said shells being adapted to be filled with a fluid having a low freezing point whereby a thermal circulation will be set up within said evaporator a portion of said evaporating chamber being formed by one of said shells.

3. A cooling element comprising a pair of spaced shells disposed in telescoped relation and forming a chamber between the sides and ends of the shells adapted to receive a fluid having a low freezing point, means for removing heat from said fluid comprising a hollow body disposed transversely within the chamber between the ends of the shells adapted to receive and vaporize refrigerant, and liquid and suction pipes projecting into and having communication with said chamber said hollow body being formed in part by one of said shells.

4. A cooling element comprising spaced inner and outer shells forming a chamber between the same for receiving a fluid having a low freezing point in said chamber, a sealed refrigerant chamber disposed in said first mentioned chamber whereby non-freezing solution within the first chamber will be caused to circulate due to the evaporating of the refrigerant within the refrigerant chamber said sealed refrigerant chamber being formed in part by one of said shells.

5. A cooling element comprising spaced inner and outer shells forming a chamber between the same for receiving a fluid having a low freezing point in said chamber, a sealed refrigerent chamber disposed in said first mentioned chamber between corresponding ends of the inner and outer shells whereby non-freezing solution within the first chamber will be caused to circulate due to the evaporating of the refrigerant within the refrigerant chamber said sealed chamber being formed in part by said spaced shells.

6. A cooling element comprising a pair of spaced shells disposed in telescoped relation and forming a chamber between the shells for the reception of a fluid having a low freezing point, means for removing heat from said fluid comprising a depending sealed container for vaporizing refrigerant, said container being adapted to confine the refrigerant at one end of the evaporator to whi h heat is adapted to be transmitted by the circulating brine and being formed in part by said spaced shells.

'7. A cooling element comprising a pair of spaced shells disposed in telescoped relation and forming a chamber betwen the shells for the reception of brine, means for removing heat from said brine comprising a depending sealed container for vaporizing refrigerant, said receptacle comprising a header and plates having ducts therein and depending therefrom and being formed in part by said spaced shells.

8. A cooling element comprising a pair of spaced shells disposed in telescopic relation and providing an annular chamber around the inner shell and an enlarged chamber between the closed ends of the shells, said cooling element being adapted to contain a fluid having a low freezing point, a hollow body projecting into said chamber between the ends of the shell and forming a header substantially surrounded by said fluid and having radiating fins thereon, said hollow body comprising a pair of substantially flat plates formed with corrugations to provide ducts for a refrigerating fluid, said plates being secured tightly together around their edges, the top of 1(]( the hollow body being formed by one of the spaced shells.

9. A cooling element comprising a pair of spaced shells disposed in telescopic relation and providing an annular chamber around the inner 105 shell and an enlarged chamber between the closed ends of the shells, said cooling element being adapted to contain a fluid having a low freezing point, a hollow body projecting into said chamber between the ends of the shell, said hollow body 11( comprising a pair of substantially flat plates formed with corrugations to provide ducts for a refrigerating fluid, said plates being secured tightly together around their edges, the top of the hollow body being formed by one of the spaced 111 shells.

10. A cooling element comprising a pair of spaced shells disposed in telescopic relation and providing an annular chamber around the inner shell and an enlarged chamber between the closed 121 ends of the shells, said cooling element being adapted to contain a fluid having a low freezing point, a hollow body projecting into said chamber between the ends of the shells substantially surrounded in fluid, said hollow body comprising a pair of substantially flat plates formed with corrugations to provide ducts for vaporizing refrigerant, said plates being secured tightly together around their edges and at a number of intermediate points to strengthen said body, and 131 a header within the chamber having communication with said hollow body, the top of the hollow body being formed by one of the spaced shells.

11. A cooling element comprising a pair of spaced shells disposed in telescopic relation and 13. providing an annular chamber around the inner shell and an enlarged chamber between the closed ends of the shells, said element being adapted to contain a fluid having a low freezing point, and a substantially cylindrical header disposed horizontally, partly within and partly without said enlarged chamber, said header being formed in part by one of said shells.

12. A cooling element comprising a pair of spaced shells disposed in telescopic relation and providing an annular changer around the inner shell and an enlarged chamber between the closed ends of the shells, said element being adapted to contain a fluid having a low freezing point, and a substantially cylindrical header disposed hori- 5 nee-mas zontally, partly within and partly without said enlarged chamber transversely of said spaced shells, said header being formed in part by one of said shells.

13. A cooling element comprising a pair of spaced shells disposed in telescopic relation and providing an annular chamber around the inner shell and an enlarged chamber between the closed ends of the shells, said element being adapted to contain a fluid having a low freezing point, and a substantially cylindrical header disposed horizontally, partly within and partly without said enlarged chamber transversely of said shells, one of the shells forming the top of the header.

surrounded by brine.

EDWARD T. WlLLIAMS. 

